New Social Justice Book Group
Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home
Begins September 8th, 2025
The Sufi message warns humanity to know life better and to achieve freedom in life; it warns humanity to accomplish what it considers good, just, and desirable, and before every action, to note its consequences by studying the situation, by judging one’s own attitude, by studying beforehand the method which one adopts to act in life. ~ Social Gathekas, Hazrat Inayat Khan
The North American Oceania Kinship Activity invites you to journey with Montana Poet Laureate and member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Chris La Tray, as he takes us on a journey to discover his roots, along the way revealing the complex story of indigenous communities and the effects of colonialism in the United States. Beautiful, personal, and historical, La Tray weaves a story of individual and communal truth.
“ What I appreciate so much about Chris La Tray’s writing on Indigenous identity and history is the wit, clarity, and integrity embodied in every word. Becoming Little Shell beautifully encompasses a journey that we can all learn from, a journey toward asking better questions about land, belonging, and connection, and through this book La Tray epitomizes historian, poet, and teacher. Full of Indigenous history, personal stories, and the complex dance between the two, La Tray reminds us that the journey of finding ourselves and making sense of the way colonialism plays out around us is an essential part of being human." – Kaitlin B. Curtice, author of Living Resistance .
The Social Justice Book Group is dedicated to reading books on issues of antiracism, indigenous rights, immigrant rights and more. The book group will meet every other Monday, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Eastern, for nine sessions, starting September 8th.
If you are interested in joining us, please contact Fazilee: fazilee@gmail.com to register. A Zoom link and reading assignments will be sent to registrants two weeks before the first session. Registration for Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian’s Journey Home closes August 25th.
*Used copies are available on Abebooks.com. If you have a local Black-owned bookstore in your area, we also encourage you to look there.